When you first start out in life, the question you should ask yourself is “how much should I save?” It is a question to answer by considering all your savings options for retirement – like a company plan that matches a percentage of your savings.

I asked my daughterAllison if she would share her perspective on using the Money Savvy Pig piggy bank in her childhood and the impact that has made on her adult life. Here is what Allison had to say:

My mom is the mother of theMoney Savvy Pigpiggy bank. And, as you might expect, we, her daughters, were her guinea pigs when she started teaching kids about money. My first-grade class was her laboratory! I am now 26 years old, several years out of college and well into my career. Teaching first graders about money was a very novel concept when she started 18 years ago. But one that empowered me and my classmates to understand money.

The Dow has been setting record highs regularly this autumn. But it remains an awful long way from one million. Then again—maybe not so long after all, Warren Buffett suggests.

With nothing more than historical average annual returns the Dow, which recently crossed 23,000, will hit 1,000,000 in 100 years. That means a child born today has a good shot at seeing that milestone fall. Life expectancy at birth is in the high 80s, but continually expanding. Half of all newborns in industrialized countries will live past 100, scientists believe. The first human that will live to 150 has already been born, actuaries say.

Why does this matter? Buffett is a smart guy. But even he would say that patience played a bigger role than smarts in building his fortune. His ideal holding time for a stock, he has said, is forever. Such is the allure of compound growth.

Dan Kadlec’s column this week on the end of the “myRA” retirement opportunity got me thinking. Kadlec suggests that the demise of the program is likely due to a lack of financial education. I agree – but I think there is more to it than that. I suspect this is human nature at play. Think about how hard it is to get people to enroll in their 401(k) with a match and invested in real growth options.

Solution? Make it an opt-out option for those who are working. At least then you grab those workers who have income. For those who are not working? Again, basic needs will always prevail.

I suspect that fin ed for those living below the poverty line is a unique challenge that current programs have not addressed. A whole lot of hands-on help would need to be done – and – well, who is going to sign up for that? Banks are already stretched.

Like I said, great and interesting column worth your time to read and ponder – and then, give thanks for the employee benefits you have!

About Susan

A sought-after speaker for financial institutions, state regulatory agencies, trade associations, leadership conferences and schools, she is the creator of the Money Savvy Pig piggy bank-- the centerpiece of the Money Savvy Kids Basic Personal Finance Curriculum.